Total Control Advanced Riding
Reprinted from the August, 2008 BMW Owners News, with permission of the BMW MOA and Bill Shaw.
by, Bill Shaw
The importance of motorcycle safety was recently underscored by Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who reported that motorcycles represent 2.5% of all registered vehicles in the U.S., but account for 11.3% of traffic deaths. Another disturbing trend is that the share of riders 50 and older who die in crashes has grown from 14% to 24% since 1997. These are sobering statistics that every BMW owner should be aware of—they certainly got my attention. They are also why the BMW MOA Foundation devotes a large percentage of its resources to training, rider education and other safety-related issues. Not only are there numerous seminars held at every International Rally, but, as evidenced by this column, the ON also dedicates considerable space to this matter. It’s always been my belief that you really can’t get too much training or instruction.
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While most motorcyclists never get an opportunity to ride on a track, the Total Control ARC program teaches them a valuable road racing technique commonly referred to as “hanging off.” Using the proper body position keeps hard parts from dragging, thus allowing for a tighter line through a turn; even on a 600 pound motorcycle |
In this regard, I found that there are generally three ways to teach advanced motorcycle skills: Track schools, such as those popularized by Keith Code and Reg Pridmore; on-road courses like the Stayin’ Safe Motorcycle Training program developed by Larry Grodsky; and closed range classes like those offered by the MSF Experienced RiderCourse. So, for BMW riders who want to improve their skill level but don’t have a desire to ride at their limits in a high-speed environment—or don’t want to risk learning new skills on the street—what practical, educational and safe alternatives exist for them?
The answer, at least for me, was with the Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic (ARC). Lee Parks, the program’s chief architect, told me that teaching on a closed range offers the best of all worlds. “Not only can poor on-street riding habits be easily corrected on a closed course, but we can simultaneously help a student’s confidence and improve his or her cornering skills in a distraction-free setting.”
He should know. With more than a decade of teaching the Total Control ARC program, Parks and his team have developed a stellar reputation. Part of the reason for their success is that, by using a building block approach and working on only one exercise at a time, each skill set is broken down and practiced before going on to the next level of instruction. Moreover, theory and application of riding techniques are always discussed in the classroom before they are practiced on the range, so students get a better understanding of how their actions directly affect the motorcycle. According to Parks, this kind of training yields the best results.
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Prior to practicing a new drill, students are first briefed on the finer points of the exercise. Here, Tracy Martin reminds students of the importance of continually looking through the center of the circle. |
My introduction to Total Control ARC took place at the Frederick County Community College, Maryland campus located at the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains and only minutes from Camp David. Each Total Control clinic employs two instructors and is limited to twelve students, allowing for a studentto- instructor ratio of 6:1, and a lot of individual attention. Our instructors for the day were Parks’s business partner, Tracy Martin, and instructor Bert Spittel.
I was the first to arrive and found Martin busily setting up the cones in a parking lot. Each class lasts about eight hours with instruction divided between the range (60%) and the classroom (40%). We started inside with introductions, followed by a PowerPoint presentation on motorcycle handling theory as it relates to traction, center of gravity and lean angles. According to Martin, “Understanding what affects traction is the first step; and it all begins with throttle control.” Truer words were never spoken. One of the first lessons I learned as a novice dirt bike rider all those many decades ago was how to manage traction using only the throttle. I spent many hours dissecting my technique trying to emulate DeCoster and Lackey. Fortunately, those hard-learned lessons paid dividends when I transitioned over to riding on the street.
Armed with this information, we then moved to the range where a large parking lot was cordoned off for our use. Our first exercise involved throttle transition and braking drills, both of which control the suspension and, therefore, traction. As is routine in virtually every motorcycle course, a demo was performed to show the path of travel and proper technique. Total Control ARC adds an additional step: before each exercise, the instructors intentionally show what not to do. I found this added step very useful since it allows us to recognize mistakes from an instructor’s point of view in the hopes we won’t make the same errors.
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Students are encouraged to practice with the same accessories on the bike that they regularly use when riding on the street including tankbags, saddlebags, and topcases. |
(MSF’s RiderCourse curricula use this important learning technique. Students are led to observe other student riders in the class and to critique both technique and resulting performance. Most novice riders invariably perform both well and poorly as they teach themselves the correct techniques and receive internal feedback; “Hey, that felt good! Whoops! That didn’t! I won’t do that again!” Observing students are led to comment on what they see others doing, both well and poorly, and frequently are able to accelerate their own learning by using this valuable visual learning technique. MS)
In the second exercise we practiced line selection, “expanding” our field of vision and identifying turn-in points by riding counter-clockwise around a 40-foot circle before practicing it in the opposite direction. In this regard, Martin reminded us to guard against “fifty-pencing,” which is a British term describing how an unskilled rider constantly corrects their line, midcorner, by using multiple turn-in points, instead of looking all the way through the turn.
Then it was back to the classroom for a unique “mental state” lesson where we learned how to keep our focus and maintain the right attitude when riding on the street. Martin reminded us that motorcycling really is as much a mental activity as it is a physical activity. For me, this was one of the more fascinating lessons since many accidents are caused by mental lapses, errors in judgment, panicking, and target fixation. Riders who prepare themselves by “training their brain” are better equipped to handle potentially dangerous situations when they arise. This message also dovetailed with one that I learned years ago while attending the police academy: People will revert to their training when under extreme duress. Suffice it to say that the importance of Martin’s talk wasn’t lost on anyone in the class. Parks told me later that this is also the only psychological training for performance motorcycle riding commercially available.
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Each student gets the opportunity to apply proper cornering techniques on their bike at 0 mph before riding the exercise at speed. Lee Parks is pictured here working with a student during this confidence-building exercise. |
Next was an in-depth discussion on cornering. The Total Control ARC method of negotiating curves is a rather involved 10-step process and is most often associated with sport riders who “hang off” their bikes. Thankfully, we had the opportunity to practice a mock turn at zero mph. Parks’s building block process worked for me and made applying this technique pretty straightforward at speed. The final drill of the day involved riding a series of figure eights where we were able to “put it all together.” There was even one 50-year-old Beemer rider who was cornering as sharply as some of the sport bike riders half his age.
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Individual instruction is one of the hallmarks of the Total Control program. Every student is critiqued by one of the instructors after they’ve taken a turn. Martin is seen here offering advice following a braking drill. |
The day concluded with a hands-on demonstration by Martin on how to properly set up a motorcycle’s suspension. Using a student’s motorcycle, he walked us through the process by measuring the suspension system fully extended, then the static spring sag, before dialing in the proper amount of spring preload. Martin went on to explain how to adjust rebound and compression damping to suit any rider on any bike. This was another useful lesson that I was able to implement immediately. After returning home and checking the suspension on my R100GS and K75, I found that both were out of adjustment for my weight and riding style.
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Learning to relax and steer with only the inside arm is a fundamental technique for all cornering exercises and takes practice. |
In the days, weeks and months following my attendance in the Total Control ARC program, I have become a more competent rider, particularly as it relates to cornering. While I’ll probably never be a “knee dragger” on the track—and never on the street—being able to read the road ahead and adjust my seating position prior to entering a corner is now second nature. For me, the Total Control ARC progression method of instruction works.
Even though Parks’ curriculum is designed to fill the gap between the MSF Experienced RiderCourse and track schools, in my estimation it is really more than that. It reinforces the physical and mental skills riders need to survive on the street. Although every rider could benefit from taking this class, I believe it’s probably more suited for an experienced rider than a novice.
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Regardless if you ride a K1200LT, R1100S or, in this case, an R1200GS, the same 10 steps for proper cornering apply. |
Costing $295, which includes a workbook, the Total Control ARC workshop is a deal by anyone’s standards—especially since the training will help avoid becoming a statistic.
So, think about investing some time and money to ‘train YOUR brain’ and become a more competent and confident motorcyclist. Consider taking the ARC— you won’t regret the experience! You can find more information out at http://www.totalcontroltraining.net/
Bill Shaw is an MOA Life member and a professional moto-journalist who primarily writes for Motorcycle Consumer News. He has also been contributing articles to the ON for more than 10 years. Bill is an MSF RiderCoach and owns a 1989 R100GS, 1995 R100GSPD and a 1995 K75.
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The BMW MOA Foundation’s MotoSafe is intended to present responsible viewpoints on thoughtful and safe motorcycling skills and practices; the authors, the Foundation, the BMW MOA and the Owners News do not guarantee readers’ personal safety, and can take no responsibility for readers’ application of this material.